Ilai Courts

Plot-The action sequence of a narrative; what happens. Ilai Courts

Theme-The main message of the story.

Climax- High point of interest in a story. Ex. occurs when Sammy quits his job as a cashier.

Exposition-The beginning of a story; setting is created, characters are introduced.

Denouement- the end of a story, after the climax.

In Medias Res- A story that begins in the middle of a sequence of events.

Topic- Expressed in one or two words.

Rising Action-Longest part of the story.

Falling Action- Explains the complications of the climax to the reader.

Conflict- Struggle between opposing forces.

Metaphor- A figure of speech in which something is spoken of as though it were something else.

Simile-A figure of speech in which like or as is used to make a comparison.

Personification- A figure of speech in which something not human is treated as if it were human.

Symbolism- The use of something to represent something beyond itself.

Alliteration-Repetition of the same initial consonant sound.

Situational Irony- Exists when what happens is the exact opposite of what is expected to happen.

Verbal Irony- Exists when a person says one thing and means another.

Dramatic Irony- Occurs when the audience has important information that the characters do not.

Onomatopoeia- The use of a word or phrase that actually imitates or suggests the sound of what it describes. Ex. Sparkle.

Hyperbole- A great exaggeration. Ex. I am so hungry I can eat a horse.

Foreshadowing- Use of clues or hints of what will happen later.

First Person Narration- Narrated by "I".

Second Person Narration- Narrated by "you".

Third Person Limited- Narration to one character's thoughts and feelings as the author's own; he or she.

Third Person Omniscient- Narration in which the author knows and reveals several characters' thoughts and feelings.

Narrative- A story told in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama.

Characterization- The act of creating and developing characters.

Setting- Time and place of action.

Short Story- A short work of fiction.

Narrator-A speaker or character who tells a story.

Tone- The writer's attitude toward his or her audience and subject.

Protagonist- Main character or hero.

Antagonist- A character or force in conflict with the main character.

Fiction- Prose writing telling about imaginary character and their traits.

Direct Characterization- When the author directly tells what the characters' traits are.

Indirect Characterization- When the author tells what the characters look like, does, say, and how other characters react to them.

Dynamic Character- One who develops or grows during the story.

Static Character- Character who doesn't change or grow during the story.

Novel- A long work of fiction.

Sensory Language- Writing or speech that appeals to one or more of the senses.

Cliche- A phrase that has used so long that its meaning is lost.

Allusion- A reference in work of literature to a character, place, or situation from another work of literature, music, or art.

Flashback- Narration of events before the normal time sequence of the plot.

Analogy- When one thing is explained in terms of another.

Understatement- When a response is deliberately incomplete.

Oxymoron- Two words that seem to mean the opposite of each other.

Biography- A work about a person's life written by another person.

Autobiography- A person writing about his/her own life.

Nonfiction- Prose writing presenting ideas or telling about real people, places, objects, or events.

Figurative Language- Writing or speech not meant to be interpreted literally.

Legend- A story about someone local or from a particular region.

Myth- A fictional account that explains the actions of gods or causes of natural phenomena.

Caricature- A drawing of a person in which one feature is exaggerated.

Anecdote- A brief story about an interesting, amusing, or strange event.

Genre-A division or type of literature.

Prose- Ordinary form of written language.

Mood- Feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage.

Diction- Word choice.

Denotation- Dictionary meaning of a word.

Connotation- Meaning of a word in context of a work.

Narrative Essay- Tells a story.

Descriptive Essay- Conveys an impression about a person, place, thing, or idea.

Persuasive Essay- Tries to get reader to do something of accept writer's point-of-view.

Expository Essay- Gives information, discusses ideas, or explains a process.

Satire- Using humor to make fun of or change things.

Dialect- Form of language spoken by people in a particular region or group.

Dialogue- Conversation between characters.

Suspense- A feeling of events in a literary work.

Paradox- A statement that seems contradictory but is actually true.

Rhetorical Question- A question asked for effect, not to be answered.

Free Verse- Poetry without fixed meter or pattern.

Blank Verse- Poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter.

Soliloquy- One character, on stage, thinking aloud alone.

Couplet- A pair of rhyming lines usually of the same length and meter.

Tragedy- A work of literature, especially a play, that results in catastrophe for the main character.

Monologue- Speech by one character in a play, story, or poem.

Comedy- Work of literature, especially a play, that has a happy ending.

Foil- A character who is contrasted with another character.

Aside- A short speech delivered by an actor in a play expressing his/her thoughts.

Drama- A story written to be performed by actors.

Repetition- more than one use of any element of language.

Parody- Making fun of a work by writing something similar but exaggerated.

Dramatic Poetry- Poetry that includes the techniques of drama.

Rhyme Scheme- A regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem.

Round Character- A character with many different traits.

Archetype- Original pattern or model; all others are copies.

Stanza- A group of lines in a poem considered as a unit.

Narrative Poem- A poem that tells a story.

Epic Simile- Extended simile in a long epic poem, often several lines.

Lyric- A poem expressing thoughts and feelings.

Epic- A long narrative poem that traces the adventures of a hero, usually a hero with super human strength.

Ballad- A short, musical poem usually focused on a single situation, often love or death.

Haiku- A three line poem usually about nature.

Rhythm- The pattern created by arranging stressed and unstressed syllables.

Rhyme- Repetition of of accented vowel sounds and all succeeding consonant sounds.

Assonance- The repetition of vowel sounds.

Consonance- The repetition of consonant sounds in the middle or end of words.

Subjective- Based on opinions or feelings.

Objective- Based on facts/evidence.

Chronological Order- The order in which something happened.